Sheet-metal container



J. M. HOTHERSALL.

SHEET METAL CONTAINER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 1. 1915.

1,320,757. rammed Nov. 4, 1919.

unirno sra rns rarnn'r curios.

JOHN M. HOTHER SALL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERTCAN CANCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SHEET-METAL CONTAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

Application filed September 1, 1915. Serial No. 48,392.

closure is soldered in place and adapted to I be torn away along thelines of solder to open it.

A principal object of this invention is the provision of a container ofthis kind which may be more readily opened than has. been possible priorto my invention.

With containersof this character it has been customary to provide a keywhich, by gripping a tongue provided upon the closure has caused theseal to be broken upon rotation of the key winding the tongue andsubsequently the cover sheet about it. Considerable force has beennecessary frequently in opening containers of this character in the pastand it is a purpose of this invention to reduce materially the forcerequired in such an operation and indeed to provide a container whichmay be opened without the use of a key at all if desired, it only beingnecessary for the person opening the container to grasp the tongueandpull it back to tear loose the solder connections.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a closure of thischaracter which may be applied to containers of relatively largecapacity. Where keys have been used in the past it has been desirablethat the containers be of small capacity to permit relatively easyoperation of the keys.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a containerwhich will be cheap to manufacture and which will present a pleasing andsaleable appearance.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it isbetter understood from the following description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the con- 'away the cover parts.

tainer embodying my invention showing it partially opened Fig. 2 1s atop plan View of the containershown in Fig. 1 with the parts arranged inclosed position; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In accordance with my invention I provide two cover sheets instead of asingle one, which cover sheets are arranged to each cover a portion ofthe opening in the box or container. They are connected along anobliquely extending line which intersects the side walls of the box orcontainer at angles. Each part is provided with a tongue which may begrasped by the hand of the opener in place of the key to tear It will,however, be understood that the keys may beused to open a containerembodying my invention without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. This arrangement of the cover parts permits starting ofthe opening operation at a solder point, further pulling away of thecover increasing the width of application of the opening force as theoperation proceeds and the power to apply the force increases.

Referring to the drawing a rectangular metal body 4 having inwardlyextending horizontal flanges 7, 8 at its open edge is provided for thepurpose of illustration. Upon this flange are secured the parts, two inthe present instance, 5 and 6, of the closure. Each of these partscovers substantially a half of the opening and each is soldered at twosides to two intersecting flanges 7, 8. Each part is cut on an obliqueline 9 extending across the body. The edges of the two parts which willbe brought together along the line 9 overlap, as seen at 10 in Fig.2,and they are soldered together as indicated in dotted lines when theyoverlap. The upper part 6 is provided at its sharper angle corner with atongue 11 over lyingthe part 5, and the under part- 5 is provided with asimilar tongue 12 similarly located and underlying the part 6. Theadjoining edges of the two parts are so arranged as to dispose thetongues 11 and 12 well within the box or container edges so that they donot protrude or extend into position to be easily bent or kinked. Whenit is desired to open the container the tongue 11 is grasped preferablyby the hand of the operator, or it may be grasped by a key,

and the part 6 drawn back, as shown in Fig. 1. It may, of course, ifdeslred, be drawn all the way off. The contents may then be stood fromthe foregoing description, and

it will be apparent that various changes may be made in theform,construction and arrangement of the parts without departs ing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its materialadvantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferredembodiment thereof.

I claim v A sheet metal container comprising a body having a top portionwhich is bounded by a diagonal line extending from one side of the body,at a point spaced from the corner, to near the opposite side of thebody, and thence along said opposite side at a distance therefrom; and aclosing plate adapted to be soldered to the body and to the diagonalpart of said top portion, said plate lapping over said top portion for ashort distance and along said diagonal line, and being formed with afree tongue extending outward transversely to said diagonal line andtoward the end of the body over the said to portion, and arrangedbetween the side 0 the body and the diagonal line where the latter isspaced from the corner of the body.

Signed in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN M. HOTHERSALL Witnesses: v

D. F. MENNIS, C. W. GRAHAM.

